1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a smoking composition which comprises, as one component, an ester of one or more aliphatic acids and a carbohydrate such as cellulose and starch.
More particularly, this invention relates to a smoking composition which comprises an ester of one or more aliphatic acids and a carbohydrate including cellulose and starch, used in place of all or a part of natural tobacco leaves as a principal filler for smoking compositions, and/or as a diluent for modifying aroma and taste, and/or as a water-resistant binder or reinforcement for smoking compositions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, it has become generally preferred to use tobaccos that are milder and lighter in aroma and taste. That is, tobaccos possessing low nicotine content and low tar content are increasingly being used in smoking compositions. There have recently been presented some proposals for using new smoking materials in place of natural tobacco: for example, .alpha.-cellulose is described in Japanese patent publication No. Showa 45-37,080, oxycellulose is disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. Showa 44-22,480, and pyrolytically degraded carbohydrates are disclosed in British Pat. No. 1,113,979.
However, the first-named material is merely paper made of .alpha.-cellulose having a relatively low density and without any chemical modification. Thus, it has the disadvantage that the irritating odor arising from combustion of cellulose cannot be removed.
The oxycellulose described in the second referenced patent is not practical for use as a filler material because the physical strength of the cellulose material is reduced when cellulose is oxidized and it is unsuitable as a filler material for cigarettes.
The third-named material must be degraded pyrolytically to below 90% by weight of the starting carbohydrate, so that this material is expensive. Further, this material has the disadvantage that it gives an appearance of apparent incompatibility as a smoking material because the pyrolytically degraded material has a black color.